CBS Poll: Lack Of Experience Hurts Obama

Illinois Senator Seen As Candidate With New Ideas, But Trails Clinton By 20 Points In Democratic Race

(CBS)  Sen. Barack Obama's perceived lack of experience may be a huge obstacle to his chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a CBS News poll released Wednesday.

While Obama is seen as the candidate offering fresh new ideas, Sen. Hillary Clinton is seen as the one with the right experience to be president. Clinton continues to hold a commanding lead over Obama, 45 percent to 25 percent, among those planning to vote in a Democratic primary. Former Sen. John Edwards is third with 14 percent.

IF THESE WERE THE CANDIDATES, WHO WOULD YOU WANT AS DEM NOMINEE? (Among Democratic Primary Voters)

Clinton
45%
Obama
25%
Edwards
14%

Clinton is also seen as being more electable than Obama, and some voters think Obama's race and even his name may be a problem for him next November.

More than half of voters (51 percent) think Obama, a first-term U.S. senator from Illinois, does not have the right kind of experience to be a good president, compared with 29 percent who think he does.

On the other hand, 59 percent of voters think Clinton, the former first lady and a two-term senator from New York, has the right experience, while 35 percent think she does not.

RIGHT EXPERIENCE TO BE PRESIDENT? (Among registered voters)

Obama
Yes
29%
No
51%

Clinton
Yes
59%
No
35%

Voters are confident that both candidates would make good decisions about dealing with foreign countries, although Clinton scores slightly better. Far fewer voters have confidence in Obama's ability to deal with an international crisis. Many are doubtful about Clinton in this area, too.

Obama does have an advantage when it comes to new ideas. The Illinois senator has presented himself as the candidate of change, and voters view him that way. Sixty-one percent think he'd try new ways of solving the country's problems, while just 18 percent think he'd stick to familiar approaches.

Clinton is seen as more traditional: 43 percent think she'd try new ideas, while 40 percent think she'd follow familiar approaches.

Voters are divided as to whether experience or new ideas matter more in a presidential candidate. Which quality they prefer influences how they vote. Among Democrats who value experience, Clinton leads Obama by more than three to one, 49 to 16 percent. Among those who value fresh ideas, Obama leads Clinton, 38 to 35 percent.

Obama is seen as being better at connecting with voters than Clinton, and is considered more likeable. But voters see Obama as less electable than Clinton: Forty-six percent of registered voters think he could be elected president if he wins the Democratic nomination, while 62 percent think Clinton cold be elected.

Can They Win? (Among registered voters)

Obama
Yes
46%
No
39%

Clinton
Yes
62%
No
29%

Among Democratic primary voters, 76 percent think Clinton can win, as do 54 percent for Obama.

Obama may have additional hurdles to clear with some voters because of his ethnicity and his name.

Thirty-eight percent think Obama's name will be a problem for many voters, while 58 percent think it won't be. One in 10 say Obama's name reminds them of Osama bin Laden or associate the name with terrorism. And 7 percent think, incorrectly, that Obama is a Muslim.

Some voters say Obama's race may be an obstacle to his electability. Eighteen percent of those who doubt his electability cite Obama’s race as the reason he couldn't win. Even more, 37 percent, mention his lack of experience.

However, Clinton's gender is also working against her: 37 percent of voters who think she can't win say it's because she's a woman; another 25 percent say it's because people dislike her or her husband.

---

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1214 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone August 8-12, 2007. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. An oversample of African Americans was also conducted for this poll, for a total of 169 interviews among this group and 149 African American registered voters. The results were then weighted in proportion to the racial composition of the adult population in the U.S. Census. The margin of error for African Americans (overall and registered voters) is plus or minus 8 percentage points.

[down-ndirty]

He did manage to SUCCESSFULLY run one of the largest states in the union as Governor of Texas. Posted by katg21 at 08:40 AM : Aug 17, 2007
_______________________

ROFLMMFAO!!!! SUCCESSFULLY??????

Texas during the Bush as governor years: #2 in population; #13 in violent crime; #1 in executions; last in education and air quality.

"What are your credentials to be making such judgements on one''''s [Bush''s] intellegence?" I''ve read many books on the Bush family, and especially books about George W.

Your problem is you can''t see past your bias, AND you don''t do your research before you engage the keyboard. LOL!!!

Other than managing the partnership that owned the Texas Rangers (he was only a figurehead there, too), name ONE business that Bush ran successfully...

[klifton2-2009]

...lack of experience certainly has not hurt that abomination now in the WH. After Bush''s performance or lack of, everyone has the experience. He has single-handedly lower the bar to a level even a mental midget can overcome. Go for it, Obama!

[katg21]

I don''''t doubt that Chelsea Clinton and the Kennedys benefited in the same way. Barbara Bush did go to Yale but Jenna chose a party school, that was her choice.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 11:28 AM : Aug 17, 2007

Okay so what the he!! are we talking about. Why don''t you look up the transcripts of everyone we discussed here and judge them on their intellegence? I''m sure they have all made some "C''s" at some point. Truth is, you judge Bush on the way he speaks, his lack of eloquence. I agree he is not a very good speaker but Ross Perot sounded even worse, why didn''t anyone challenge his intellegence?

[katg21]

We can see from this article an example of how the the power elite is doing it''''s best to make sure John Edwards is out of the picture.
If they asked voters if they think he has the right experience to be president, or if he can win, they didn''''t report it.
I guess they know they will make sure he doesn''''t get a chance to win.
Posted by weareone2 at 11:32 AM : Aug 17, 2007

Yep, Hillary''s the media darling.

[realpatriot1]

The logic of the racsist righties seems to be that a person who has been exposed to the Islamic faith is less suited to dealing with building alliances against terror in the Muslim world than someone who has been exposed only to Christianity and knows nothing about the Islamic faith.

We saw how well that worked with Bush. Aides have said that even 2 days before the invasion of Iraq he didn''t know that there were Sunni and Shiite Islamic sects in Iraq.

But then these are the people who think he''s a Muslim because his middle name is Hussein, which is as common as John in Nigerian society. By the way, Nigeria is and has always been a loyal American ally.

[weareone2]

We can see from this article an example of how the the power elite is doing it''s best to make sure John Edwards is out of the picture.
If they asked voters if they think he has the right experience to be president, or if he can win, they didn''t report it.
I guess they know they will make sure he doesn''t get a chance to win.

[realpatriot1]

Katg21,

It''s pretty much common knowledge that prestigous Colleges admit the kids of influential patrons and I don''t doubt that Chelsea Clinton and the Kennedys benefited in the same way. Barbara Bush did go to Yale but Jenna chose a party school, that was her choice.

[katg21]

The problem with that theory is that some people are admitted for reasons other than smarts, like athletes and the sons of powerful politicians.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 08:55 AM : Aug 17, 2007

If it makes you feel better to think that way then go ahead, really don''t care. Why, I ask you, didn''t Bush''s daughters Jenna and Barbara go there then? Lord knows they could get in on privilege alone. And what of Chelsea Clinton, did her father influence her attendence to the college of her choice? Nonsense, all of it.

[realpatriot1]

katg21,

Getting Cs at Yale doesn''t necessarily make a person smart.

My best friend attnded grad school at Harvard; he told me that he never farted around as much as when he was there because the professors assume if you''re smart enough to get in you don''t need to be challenged.

The problem with that theory is that some people are admitted for reasons other than smarts, like athletes and the sons of powerful politicians.

[katg21]

Yeah, rub it in, katg21. Bush went to Yale and ONLY managed to get a "C" average. And Harvard business school still didn''''t keep him from engaging
Posted by down-ndirty at 05:59 AM : Aug 17, 2007

Love it! Try and justify it if you will, it takes a pretty smart person to make even a "C" at Yale. You''re forgetting, he got his MBA at Harvard too...man what an idiot. What are your credentials to be making such judgements on one''s intellegence? As far as being unsuccessful at business, at least he tried. He did manage to SUCCESSFULLY run one of the largest states in the union as Governor of Texas. I suppose you think it was his daddy''s wealth and influence that helped him with that too. You people crack me up. Bush may not be as eloquent as say, Bill Clinton, but at least he has his convictions and sticks to them. You dems only like the politicians that hollywood tells you to like; the kind who pander and talk out of both sides of their mouths.

[katg21]

You''''re about as fake as fake can be. You and katg21 would make a great "pair."
Posted by fake-id at 06:27 AM : Aug 17, 2007


Ooh, we''ve got the cyber police on us. Fake-id, you were a hall monitor weren''t you?

[katg21]

Only because ignorant racist people such as yourself spout lies and half-truths to make you feel as if you deserve to be living.
Posted by tru_america1 at 08:02 AM : Aug 17, 2007

What I said wasn''t racist, do you even know what that is? You are an idiot if you can''t see the correlation between his name and the name of the person who launched the most deadly attacks on us in american history. So, where are the lies and half truths in what I said? His name is Barack Hussein Obama, right? I think I''m correct in saying that most people won''t be able to see past that, no matter how decent of a man he is, and it''s a shame. And that''s my opinion.

[fake-id-2009]

One of the most entertaining opportunities that will emerge in 2007 will be using Barack Obama to fight Islamofascism. He is the product of a black Moslem from Kenya, Barrack Hussein Obama, and a white atheist from Kansas, Shirley Ann Dunham, who met at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. That is why his middle name is the same as Saddam%u2019s: Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. His first name is taken from the Islamic term in Arabic for %u201Cblessed,%u201D baraka, used in the Koran.
Posted by jack3213 at 01:22 PM : Aug 16, 2007
___________________

Funny, jack3213. Your two posts are word-for-word from a forum on topix.net posted by someone else.

I suppose you''re going to tell me that you are "Minnesota Mike" from New Prague, MN.

Do you always troll the forums and "borrow" comments from other people?

You''re about as fake as fake can be. You and katg21 would make a great "pair."

[down-ndirty]

Does anyone really even know what Hitlary''''s experience was when her beloved was president? Posted by katg21 at 03:15 PM : Aug 16, 2007
_________________

Does anyone really know what Bush''s experience was before he was "groomed" by Rove & Co. to become president?

I mean, *****, the guy couldn''t even speak third-grade English during his first term.

Most of his businesses failed. And in the one that didn''t (Texas Rangers), he ended up screwwing the citizens of Arlington Texas over the ball park. Just like he''s been screwwing the citizens of the U.S. for the past six years.

Speaking of Hitlar: Hitler was a right-wing authoritarian (fascist), and a Christian; just like Bush is a right-wing authoritarian, and a Christian (or so he says).

Go figure...

[down-ndirty]

You libs love to use this one; tell me again where Bush went to college?
Posted by katg21 at 03:03 PM : Aug 16, 2007
_______________

Yeah, rub it in, katg21. Bush went to Yale and ONLY managed to get a "C" average. And Harvard business school still didn''t keep him from engaging in a long string of failed businesses.

Besides, Bush didn''t get into Yale because of his merits; it was daddy''s wealth and influence that did it.

Here''s a guy so stupid that, in spite of being in the 25th percentile for pilot aptitude, he still insisted on becoming a fighter pilot in the Texas ANG in order to evade duty in Vietnam.

25th percentile!!! LOL!!! No wonder he quit flying!!!

Again, Bush didn''t get into the Texas ANG on his flying abilities; it was his daddy''s wealth and influence. In fact, in spite of his lack of flying acumen, he was placed in the Texas ANG ahead of over 100 qualified pilots returning from Vietnam.

Wow!!! Wealth and influence can work wonders, even if your name is Bush and you''re dumber than dumb.

OBTW: If a "commoner" went to Yale and put forth the same effort (or lack of it) that Bush did, the "commoner" would be kicked out.

[down-ndirty]

How funny this story is!!

A string of business failures and lack of experience didn''t hurt Bush, but he certainly did hurt the U.S of A.

The only thing hurting Obama is the lack of a "Rove-like" character to polish his image and dig up some dirt on his opponents...

[dirtydog55]

But I think Hillary is really the one to watch.
Posted by aldewitt at 01:12 PM : Aug 16, 2007


Me too... Considering that Bill Clinton was the greatest "republican" president since Lincoln, there is no doubt in my mind that she is exactly like Bill in that respect.

Let''s see...Bill pushed through NAFTA (when Reagan & Bush41 couldn''t) and the result was that hundreds of thousands of good-paying working-class jobs were lost.

What else...? Oh, yeah. He ended welfare for the poor (a good thing) and also increased welfare for the rich with his tax breaks for the wealthy.

Bill Clinton was a traitor to the class of people from which he came.

As for Hillary: She is smart enough to continue the screwwing that Bush has been doing to us for over six years.

In addition, we don''t need to continue the phuckking family dynasty rule in this country!!!

[dirtydog55]

Obama claims he is a Christian, that he and his wife Michelle are members of the United Church of Christ. Posted by jack3213 at 01:25 PM : Aug 16, 2007

There are a lot of people with Arab names who are Christians. You may not be aware of it but Christ is a prophet in the Islam religion and many Muslems converted to Christianity.

[tbweb]

Sen. Barack Obama is an impressive level headed thinker. He also has a common sense, down to Earth way about him. His real problem is he came out of no where, nobody really knows that much about him. Experience is an issue, but more to the point is Sen. Barack Obama is an unknown quantity who needs to put more time in so serious Americans can really get to know him. I joke around about Obama a lot, he''s cool, but Americans need more time to be comfortable before letting him put his finger on the nuclear button! Talking about attacking inside Pakistan, a U.S. ally without mentioning consulting with Pakistan first in his initial comments didn''t help his case or the comfort level of Americans or Pakistan for that matter!

[jegibbons]

Clear thinking Americans who aren''t sipping the Kool-aide or huffing glue have to realize how desperate the Dems are. Their top two choices for the voters are: a first term Senator or a former 1st Lady???

The democrats demonstrate lots of experience at losing. Gore, Kerry, Edwards and now Hillary and Obama!

WOW! Now that''s a string that''s hard to beat.

Clearly, pandering to the radical Left simply isn''t paying off. I''m angry because we are moving ever closer to a single party dominance in presidential politics.

We deserve somebody with middle American traditional values, who will represent all the people. The media doesn''t elect the President. That''s our job!